New York (State)

Introduction

New York City

New York State is a state in the northeast of the USA and was one of the original 13 Colonies. When most people talk about New York State they just say Upstate New York. Although people forget that Upstate New York is home to amazing national and state parks that are quite stunning. There is also good skiing and some neat towns upstate that get overshadowed by the Big Apple on the coast. The largest city is New York City.

Geography

New York covers 141,300 km2 and ranks as the 27th largest state by size. The Great Appalachian Valley dominates eastern New York, while Lake Champlain is the chief northern feature of the valley, which also includes the Hudson River flowing southward to the Atlantic Ocean. The rugged Adirondack Mountains, with vast tracts of wilderness, lie west of the valley. Most of the southern part of the state is on the Allegheny Plateau, which rises from the southeast to the Catskill Mountains. The highest elevation in New York is Mount Marcy in the Adirondacks. New York's borders touch two Great Lakes (Erie and Ontario); the provinces of Ontario and Quebec in Canada; Lake Champlain; three New England states (Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut); the Atlantic Ocean, and two Mid-Atlantic States, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. In addition, Rhode Island shares a water border with New York. In contrast with New York City's urban atmosphere, the vast majority of the state is dominated by farms, forests, rivers, mountains, and lakes. New York's Adirondack Park is the largest state park in the United States. The Hudson River begins at Lake Tear of the Clouds and flows south through the eastern part of the state without draining Lakes George or Champlain. Upstate and downstate are often used informally to distinguish New York City or its greater metropolitan area from the rest of New York State. The placement of a boundary between the two is a matter of great contention. Unofficial and loosely defined regions of Upstate New York include the Southern Tier, which often includes the counties along the border with Pennsylvania, and the North Country, which can mean anything from the strip along the Canadian border to everything north of the Mohawk River.

Cities

New York City

New York, New York, the city so great they named it twice, goes by many other names as well such as The Big Apple and The City That Never Sleeps. Probably most interesting to the traveller is the unofficial declaration of being the "world's capital."

Other Cities

Sights and Activities

Adirondacks

View from Algonquin Peak

The Adirondacks refers to the park and mountains located in this area. The Adirondack Park is both the largest and the first government-protected park in the contiguous United States. It covers a vast expanse - bigger than New Hampshire - of rugged, thickly wooded, mountainous terrain in northeast New York State. The Adirondacks are a popular destination for all lovers of outdoor activities, from hiking and skiing to ice and rock climbing.

Niagara Falls

The Niagara Falls are one of the most impressive waterfalls in the world. And although the Canadian side has been developed into a big tourist attraction, the falls haven't lost any of their appeal.

Niagara Falls

The falls consist of the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side, which are almost 800 meters wide and have a direct vertical drop of over 50 meters, and the American Falls, which are about 320 meters wide and just over 20 meters tall. The small Bridal Veils are on the American side as well, separated from the American Falls with a single drop of almost 20 meters as well. The total drop of these falls is over 50 meters. The Canadian and American side are separated by Goat Island. One of the best ways to experience the impact of the falls is to take a boat ride on the Maid of the Mist, which brings you very close and you can view the falls from beneath. If you would rather walk, the Cave of the Winds takes you to the base of the Bridal Veils Falls.

Statue of liberty

Statue of Liberty

One the most famous statues in the world is the statue of liberty. It's not only an icon for New York but also for the entire country. The statue was a gift of the French people to celibrate the centennial of the Independence of the United States. The statue was constructed in France, and after completion shipped to the USA, where it was stored for 11 months, to await the completion of the pedestal, the 46-metre-high statue could finally be unveiled in November 1886.

Liberty Island was closed after the attacks of 9-11, and only reopened in 2004. The crown can be visited again since July 2009, but only by a few people a day. Two smaller statues predates the statue that is placed in New York. One stands in Paris in the Jardin de Luxembourg, and a second stands in front of the city hall in Maceió, in Brazil. After the success of these statues, it was decided to go huge. Nowadays there are several copies of the statue of liberty to be found all over the world.

Weather

In general, New York has a humid continental climate, though New York City has a humid subtropical climate. Weather in New York is heavily influenced by two continental air masses: a warm, humid one from the southwest and a cold, dry one from the northwest. The winters are long and cold in the Plateau Divisions of the state. In the majority of winter seasons, a temperature of -25 °C or lower can be expected in the northern highlands (Northern Plateau) and -15 °C or colder in the southwestern and east-central highlands (Southern Plateau). The summer climate is cool in the Adirondacks, Catskills and higher elevations of the Southern Plateau. The New York City/Long Island area and lower portions of the Hudson Valley have rather warm summers by comparison, with some periods of high, uncomfortable humidity. The remainder of New York State enjoys pleasantly warm summers, marred by only occasional, brief intervals of sultry conditions. Summer daytime temperatures usually range from 25 °C to 30 °C, over much of the state and between 15 °C and 20 °C at night. Precipitation is quite evenly distributed throughout the year, with sometimes very heavy snowfall in winter. During summer, heavy showers can occur, especially after periods of hot weather.

By Train

Most trains to and from New York State originate and terminate in New York City. Services will arrive at Pennsylvania Station, located at 7th Avenue and 34th Street. There are easy connections from Pennsylvania station to the subway network of the city. From Pennsylvania Station, Amtrak runs a number of services, including the Acela trainconnecting Washington, D.C. to Boston. Other trains include:

Getting Around

By Train

Several trains travel from New York City across the state. These include:

The Empire Service between New York and Niagara Falls. This train only crosses the state itself. The next ones cross the state stopping in places like Albany and many others, but end in other states (like Vermont or Illinois) or countries (Canada).

By Car

Many international rental companies have a wide selection of rental cars and these include Hertz, Avis, Dollar, Thrifty, Enterprise, Budget and Alamo/National. Most companies will require you are at least 25 years of age, although younger people might be able to rent cars at slightly higher rates and with some insurance differences as well. A national driver's license is usually enough, but an additional international one is recommended. Also note that it usually costs more to include lots of other extra things. For example extra drivers, GPS, the first full tank, SLI (Supplemental Liability Insurance), PAI (Personal Accident Insurance, usually covered already at home), road assistance/service plan, and drop-off costs for one-way rentals. If you want to book a car, it is recommended that you book your car before arriving in the USA. This is almost always (much) cheaper compared to just showing up. Also, try and book with a so-called 'broker', which usually works together with a few or many car rental companies and can offer the best deal. Some examples include Holidayautos, Holidaycars and Sunny Cars. Some of the cheapest deals to book from Europe, includes Drive-USA, which also has a German version.

For more information and tips about renting cars and campers, additional costs, insurance, traffic rules, scenic routes and getting maps and fuel it is advised to check the USA Getting Around section.

New York has a number of National Scenic Byways which offer a great way to explore the state crossing beautiful landscapes. Mostly, there are lots of national parks, state parks or monuments along the way and it's generally a better alternative than the faster but boring Interstate Highways.

Sleep

Hotel and Motel Chains

There are dozens of hotel and motel chains, ranging from budget to top end. Allthough they are not the most charming accommodations, they usually have a very decent midrange service with good rooms and are generally good value. At least you know what to expect and in some cases they are either the only or the best option in the area. Some of them include: